A SCHOOL whose former pupils include Sir Clive Woodward, ex-Royal Bank of Scotland boss Stephen Hester and Thirsk and Malton MP Kevin Hollinrake has been placed in special measures.

Ofsted has concluded Easingwold School had not improved at the required pace since inspectors rated it as “requires improvement” in 2012 and 2014.

North Yorkshire County Council said the school, which has about 1,100 pupils, had made progress in a number of areas, but the attainment gap for disadvantaged students in particular, remained too wide and maths teaching too weak.

The authority said it was working with school governors to put in place an action plan for rapid improvement, including introducing two additional governors, both ex-headteachers.

It added it was supporting the school’s transition to becoming an academy, which is a mandatory move after a school is placed in special measures and was working with the Department for Education to find a sponsor for the school as part of a multi-academy trust.

The council has secured Rob Pritchard, head of St John Fisher Roman Catholic High School in Harrogate, which has been rated by Ofsted as “outstanding”, to take up the post of executive headteacher to work with Easingwold’s senior leadership.

Councillor Arthur Barker, the council’s school’s boss, said: “This is a very difficult time for the school community. We accept fully that the school needs to go through a fundamental review, particularly in relation to support for disadvantaged students.”